Just the Way You Are
by 0RamblingRose0
Summary: She smiled at him on the subway, she was with another man…. RLNT
1. Chapter 1

Title: Just the Way You Are  
Author: LupinLovesTonks  
Rated: T due to future situations  
Disclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.  
Summary: She smiled at him on the subway, she was with another man…. RL/NT  
AN: This fic has been bothering my mind for a while… it would pop in every time I heard the song "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. Keep that in mind through the first part of the fic. I would also like to take a little time to invite the lot of you to meander over to the forum I created in case you guys have any questions. And before you ask… chapter two is already in the works and I have an outline for the fic already so if my muse wants to go off course… she can't.

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Chapter One

* * *

His day had started almost like any other.

He had crawled out of his little bed in his little London flat. After a small bite of breakfast he had taken his shower and gotten dressed for another day of doing his work with The Order. Not that he particularly had much to do at the moment, just try and find a few new recruits here and there that could be trusted.

Today, he was going to be heading to the Ministry under the pretense of trying to find the werewolf that bit him again. Doing so would allow him access to many of the places inside the Ministry, including the Auror department to take a look at werewolves that were currently being pursued for stalking out victims.

He rolled over his plans to maybe recruit a few aurors while he walked to the underground a few blocks away from his house. As usual, he paid for his ticket and made his way onto the subway. But it was once he took a seat that something unexpected happened.

He saw _her_.

She was arm and arm with a impeccably dressed man that was tall dark and handsome. The woman was equally impeccably dressed. She had black hair with two bright pink streaks framing her heart-shaped face. There was a certain mischievousness in her dark eyes when they met his. He had never thought a conventional middle aged woman would be caught dead with pink hair, but something about the way she had it done, it seemed to fit.

The entire trip, Remus could not take his eyes away from her. Part of him felt that he was betraying the very will of God by gazing at the angel across from him on the subway. Occasionally, her dark eyes would flash up and meet him. She would smile gently and look away with pink flushing her cheeks.

Remus could feel his heart beating fast every time she smiled at him. But, at the same time he knew that the odds of him ever being able to actually learn the name of the angel were slim. Even more so, the odds of ever being able to even kiss those soft pink lips were nonexistent. But, that didn't keep him from dreaming while on his way to The Ministry.

Before he got off the underground, the woman stood and smiled at him one last time before also getting off. Once above ground, Remus watched as the man gave the woman a long kiss then walked away, leaving her behind. As soon as the man disappeared into the crowd, the smile faded from the woman's face, and was replaced by the sourest look Remus had ever seen on such a pretty face.

With a slight chuckle, Remus moved from the underground exit and made his way to the visitors entrance at the Ministry.

Even though he had seen an angel that morning, he was going to try not to let her infiltrate his mission of finding aurors loyal to Dumbledore and his cause. Already, there was one auror on the team, Kingsley Shacklebolt, so Remus knew it would not be much of a problem to get permission to look through the files on wanted werewolves.

When Remus walked into the Aurors Department, Kingsley instantly gave him a grin. "Hello, Remus," the dark skinned man greeted. "I see you've come back to research those wanted werewolves again."

A few people turned slightly as Kingsley shook Remus' hands, eyeing Remus speculatively.

"Well," Remus said with a half chuckle. "I would very much like to find the one that bit me and hopefully the rumors of my curing upon his death are true."

They spoke a little too loudly on purpose, so that everyone would be intent on the idea that Remus was in fact there to do just that. At least that way none of the others would ever suspect he was being passed secret files that, had he not had Kingsley as an insider, he would not be able to sneak the files out. This was also a task Kingsley himself could not accomplish alone.

They took a seat in Kingsley's small corner. Instantly, Kingsley pushed some files on some suspected Death Eaters over to him while talking about how many people they had been seen stalking during the full moon. Of course, the talk had nothing to do with the files. After a moment, Kingsley lowered his voice.

"By the way, Remus," Kingsley whispered. "There's one here I think The Order might be interested in."

"Really?" Remus said. "You haven't told him about The Order yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't told _her_. Why do you always assume it's a man when I mention a possible new Order person?"

Remus shrugged. "There's not that many female aurors, and we've already got a good bit on the ones that are."

"This one is special," Kingsley commented. "She's a metamorphmagus, young, smart, clever… You name it she's got it. Well… Except for a few things…"

"Like what?" Remus asked curiously.

"Well, she's not exactly the most gr--"

"SHACKLEBOLT!" a female voice bellowed.

Both Remus and Kingsley turned to face the source, coming through the door. Almost instantly, Remus felt his heart plummet into his stomach. The dark haired angel from the subway was stomping into the Aurors Department, her pink lips were pursed with aggravation.

She grasped the closure of her pristine black coat, ripped the coat open and threw the lifeless material aside, reveling a old, worn Weird Sisters shirt. Her dark eyes were blazing as her hair went from long and dark to short, spiky, and bright pink. She pointed her wand and several accessories came flying to her hands.

As she was trying to don the chain belt around her waist, the toe of one of her boots caught the edge of a desk and she tumbled promptly to the ground, right at their feet. There was a titter of laughter through the people closest by, making the woman's face turn bright red.

"As I was saying Remus, Tonks is not exactly one of the most graceful footed aurors in the department but she will do almost anything for a case." Kingsley looked down at his fallen comrade and didn't spare the moment to tease her. "Now Tonks, how many times have I told you it's not proper to bow down at my feet in public?" The newly named Tonks made a mocking sound as she pulled herself back to her feet. "What is it this time Tonks?"

"_This time_ I had to kiss him. Do you know how completely and utterly disgusting of a task that is to do with a smile on my face?" Tonks spat. "Knowing what that… that… that… _wizard killer_ has done?" She shuttered physically and her head gave an over dramatic twitch. "He's the worst of the worst of Muggles and I had to kiss the bastard. When can we take him down?" She stomped the heel of her black boot into the floor and twisted it as she grumbled. "I just can't wait to throw him down and stomp right on his -- Oh!"

She jumped back as she looked directly at Remus, tripping over a fallen wastebasket in the process. Apparently, she had just realized she had seen him on the underground. Remus stood and offered her a hand, which she took and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"Don't worry Tonks," Remus said quietly. "I get that response rather often when someone sees me."

She gave a faint smile and pulled up a chair. She plopped into the chair and sat with her legs sprawled out like some un-kept man. She even pulled up the bottom of her shirt in order to scratch at an itch on her pale stomach.

What kind of silly name was 'Tonks' anyway? That hardly seemed to be a name to fit the angel he had seen on the underground. Then again, she looked almost nothing like the woman he had seen on the underground. On the underground she had the glow of age, beauty, and sophistication. The girl before him looked barely out of Hogwarts and a jot like she belonged on a microphone fronting some popular wizard rock band.

But, at the same time, the girl that was now sprawled out close to him had a charm all her own. Before, he had not noticed that the longer dark hair had hidden a long, graceful neck that ached to be kissed on. The black overcoat had hidden the femininely toned arms. It had also hidden the softly rounding breasts that the undershirt was tautly pulled over, as well as the trim, chiseled lines of her stomach and sides. And the pink hair made her dark eyes stand out even more against her pale complexion.

The sudden realization that Kingsley was speaking again drew Remus from the distraction of his underground angel. Remus looked over at Kingsley, which was addressing Tonks.

"He's here trying to find the werewolf that bit him when he was a young lad," Kingsley was explaining.

Remus felt the blood escape from his face when Tonks looked at him sharply. However, the blood returned when she just gave him a quick glance over and gave a wicked little smile.

"If you could Tonks, take him into the office over there and maybe you can help him out better than I can." Kingsley looked at Remus and smiled widely. "Werewolves are one of her specialties so I know you're in safe hands." He looked back at Tonks and teased, "But try not to show him what those safe hands would like to do to a nice werewolf, please?"

Tonks reached a booted foot across the space and kicked Kingsley in the shin with an amused laugh. "Oh honestly Kingsley, you should have knocked before coming into my room."

"And I still wish I had because I am stuck with that mental image in my brain anytime you mention something about a werewolf file." Kingsley gave a visible shudder. He patted Remus on the shoulder and turned back to his desk.

Remus gathered up the files he had collected so far and followed Tonks into one of the private investigating offices, which also contained most of the files on wanted wizards. The entire journey there his eyes were on the swaying hips just barely concealed in tight jeans. He couldn't help but wonder if there was any end to the woman's seemingly perfect shape. Then again, she _was _a metamorphmagus so if there was any flaw, she had probably intentionally allowed it to be there.

Tonks closed the door after they entered the room. Her face flushed slightly. "I apologize, Kingsley and I were roommates right after I got out of Hogwarts. The son of one of my mom's best friends while she was in Hogwarts," Tonks explained, setting some extra files on the solitary table.

"So the two of you are together then?"

"Ew! Dear God no," Tonks shook. "We tried it once and the first time we kissed it felt like we were committing incest so we both agreed that it was best left at being a 'brother/sister' type of friendship. He teases me mercilessly, and I tease him to the point of cracking his sanity… but at the end of the day we realize that we're family and our over all feelings for each other is just that… cheesy, warm, fuzzy, family stuff."

"So I am guessing that file he was referring to was just a cheap shot then?" Remus chuckled, taking a seat in one of the rickety old chairs the room provided.

"No, he really did walk into my room while I was looking over a werewolf file and masturbating. But he completely misinterpreted it, the two were in no way in relation to each other," Tonks replied without the slightest faltering in her tone. "And I don't know if Kingsley told me or not but… What's your name again?"

"Remus, Remus Lupin," he provided. "How did the werewolf files become your specialty?"

Tonks flushed deeply. "Well, do you want me to be honest?" Remus gave her a slight nod. "Well, because it's my life's ambition to get laid by one before I die." She opened one of the files and laid it open on the table. "This is Randolf Woski… An import from one of those countries that pronounce the W's like V's…"

She inhaled and held her breath as she scanned her finger across the information. "Ah, here we are. He was living in England between the years of 1962 and 1979, hiding out for the crime of biting a wizard while they were camping…" she pursed her lips. "But he was acquitted once he was deported home, due to the fact the person he bit in his native country had originally had him locked in a cage and was using him as some sort of side show feature for Muggles. Woski's verdict was based on the grounds that the bitten party knew the risks of keeping a werewolf as a pet.. Okay so that's not a good lead…"

Tonks slapped the folder closed and held it up, it instantly zipped away to it's filing cabinet. "Maybe we should have been specific that we wanted ones that were actually a problem when it came to biting people." Several of the folders flew off the table and back into filing cabinets. They were left with only about ten thick folders.

"Theodore McMathers," Tonks said with a bored sigh. "What year were you born again?"

"1960," Remus replied quietly.

Tonks snapped the thick folder shut. "Okay that rules him out. He was killed in 1958 by this guy…"

She opened another folder. Remus' eyes latched onto the moving picture. Even though the man was in human form, he still very much resembled a wolf. The man's hair was long and matted and little twigs were caught in the mass of knots. Remus felt his stomach churning as he kept his eyes locked on the pacing image. Without warning the man leapt at the bars and opened his mouth in a silent roar.

"Fenrir Greyback," Tonks read. "After he was bitten, he sort went crazier than he already was. He saw the ailment as being a blessing and feeding on human flesh as his right. Since he knew he couldn't have any 'cubs' of his own, he knowingly stalks out the children of people that had basically pissed him off and turned their children. When the surviving bitten children are cast aside by their parents, Fenrir takes them in and tries to make them just like him. To date he has about sixty to a hundred in his pack. All of them are just as blood thirsty as he is."

Remus slowly removed the picture off of the file and brought it closer to his face. For so many years, he had thought perhaps the one that had bitten him was like Woski -- not being in their right mind… But now, right there in front of him, was the cold hard truth.

"_Is the name Fenrir Greyback familiar to you?" They hadn't known Remus could still perfectly hear them, in the kitchen, from his spot in the living room as he worked on a puzzle._

"_Yes, I've heard of it," Remus' mother said stiffly. "Kind of hard to forget the name when your nose has met the stench."_

_They spoke for a moment about how Fenrir had offered for them to join with Lord Voldemort, and finally his mother asked what Fenrir's response had been to the rejection of the offer._

"_He said that I should change my mind or we would pay the price for you and myself refusing the service of this 'Dark Lord' come the next full moon."_

"I pulled away from my mother," Remus whispered. "They were trying to protect me… and I pulled away because I had… left… a book? Was it a book or something else? I can't remember."

A warm hand on his brought Remus out of the cloudy memory of the night he was bitten. Tonks' dark eyes were gazing at him warmly. He looked down at where their hands were touching and pulled back the sleeve of his ragged robes. The scar just above his wrist was pale and not that big to say the most. But it was clearly the evidence of being snatched away from the beast that had attacked him, just as its yellow fangs had met his skin.

It could have been a horrible bite, but all that managed to happen was the teeth getting very little of him. In the end, it was enough to cause Remus to become a werewolf.

"I've met a few of Greyback's victims," Tonks said lightly. "Compared to them you're just a normal wizard."

Remus managed a smile. "I had the fortune of having parents that truly did love me no matter what. My mum, until I went to Hogwarts that is, had actually stayed in the room with me when I transformed. The wolf knew his mum, apparently. My dad was allergic so he couldn't be in there with me."

Tonks chuckled. "Your father was allergic to werewolves?"

"Animal fur in general," Remus shrugged. His eyes, once again, went to where Tonks had her long-fingered hand lightly holding his hand. Tonks jumped slightly and instantly pulled her hand away, muttering something about not meaning to offend him.

"So…" Tonks said, a little too cheerfully. "It seems we cleared up the mystery of who got you." She hurriedly stood up and started manually putting away the files that remained.

Remus watched her. Part of him could not rationalize that the bubbling young auror in front of him had been the same woman he had been captivated by on the underground. However, another part of him that had thought about it could see how something so simple as changing her hair could make her look his age. Oddly enough, her face still looked the same as it had on the underground. For now he didn't know what to think of the young woman before him _or_ the woman on the underground, now that he knew the truth.

The only thing Remus knew now was that he had to find a new reason to come to the Department of Auror's, so that he could talk more with the metamorphmagus and see if she was indeed "Order Material".

"If you want to look at that folder some more, feel free to take it home with you. Just remember to sign it out with Kingsley," Tonks said, her voice jittery. "I have to go the bathroom." Her face flushed and she hurried out the door, one shoulder colliding with the doorway as she exited.

A few moments later, Kingsley slowly came into the room. "Well, it seems our dear Nymphadora Tonks was in fact all talk. Barely an hour with a real live werewolf and she goes all girly on us. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Sadly, yes," Remus replied flatly. "Now I have to find another reason to come up here and find out if the Order would be something she would be interested in. I think she would be ideal for it, given her abilities."

Kingsley chuckled. And leaned in so that only Remus could hear him. "Since when does a guy need a reason to visit a pretty girl?" He stood back at his full height and offered Remus the board to sign out his folder. "Think about it Remus."

Remus nodded slightly as he signed his name to the parchment. As he turned to go, he rolled Kingsley's hint over in his head. Yes, it would have been a little underhanded to make the girl think he was interested in her just to get her into the Order. Then again, Kingsley hadn't said he _had_ to falsely court the girl or anything. Perhaps just a friendly luncheon somewhere, or something of that nature wouldn't do any harm… would it?


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Just the Way You Are  
Author: LupinLovesTonks  
Rated: T due to future situations.  
Disclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

_Do we get to see her again today?_

Remus opened his eyes and tried to block the morning sun peeking in through his bedroom curtains. He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. For once, could he get some sleep during the week proceeding the full moon? Was it too much to ask?

His heart began to beat rapidly as false memories of soft pink lips flashed through his mind. He could feel the wolf wanting to react, but not in the usual manner that meant it was wanting to feed. However, Remus had a vague idea as to what exactly this new urge the wolf was experiencing was all about. Especially when the wolf seemed to be going crazy anytime Remus remembered seeing Tonks' lovely pale stomach or one of her other feminine features.

It had been two days since his first meeting with Tonks. The two days had not been wasted or used just to avoid seeing her. He had actually done what he had said and read over the file on Greyback. It had not been a very pleasant experience, to say the least. Each of Greyback's victims had their own pages in the thick folder. Some had not survived their first transformation, most of them had.

Then Remus had found his profile. Several pictures of him from the age of five to eleven had been clipped to the top corner and one of him fresh out of Hogwarts was stuck over his name on the paper.

He had removed the earlier childhood pictures from the clip and had a laugh at the antics his young image made with his mother. The mother and child looked close and loyal to each other as his five year old self was being bounced on her knees or his eight year old self ran around her chair as she tried to catch him or his eleven year old self flew from the side of the picture and flung his arms around his mother's neck.

He had almost been tempted to floo his mother and see how she was doing, but then reality set in and he knew she would most likely be busy doing other exciting antics to speak with him. For some reason, after his father's death they had become distant and he had not wanted her to be there for him anymore. The pictures, however had brought back several wonderful memories that Remus treasured.

The one that had been posted above his name had involved so many emotions that Remus had almost been tempted not to read the profile. Himself, James, Sirius, and Lily were laughing and acting as if they hadn't a care in the world. Peter hesitantly would peek into the picture, as if checking to see if he was welcome to join the antics. But, as if sensing Remus' anger, Peter kept himself well out of view.

The contents of the file had made Remus realize exactly how different he had been from the other victims of Greyback.

_**Remus John Lupin**_

_Above, far left._

_Status: Non-feral_

_Comments: Very mild mannered and polite, not to mention witty. A rare, good credit to werewolf kind. We suspect his mother's hand in raising him after being bitten has much to do with this. Even attended and completed wizarding training at Hogwarts with favorable yearly analysis._

_First analysis: Five years old_

_Comments: Very nervous and scared. Mother stayed with him through entire transformation. Displayed no aggression._

_Most recent analysis: thirty-four years old_

_Comments: Stays at home alone on nights of full moon. Once turned, mostly sniffs around his home, occasional howling at the moon. In all honesty he acts like an over grown puppy._

_Additional comments: Showed signs of wanting to display aggression after being on Wolfsbane potion for a year. However, after he stopped taking it, after a few months his behavior went back to normal. For more details and yearly analysis results, see his complete file._

Something about reading the small page on himself had made Remus feel less dangerous. But, at the same time, Remus knew better than to let that idea cement in his mind. The most recent analysis proved the fact that he only showed no aggression if and when there were no other people around. It was no indication as to how he would act in a situation that left him out in the open.

Tonks slowly floated back into his mind. He knew the exact moment due to the wolf leaping with joy. Convinced he was not going to actually be able to get any more sleep, Remus crawled out of his bed. The process was considerably normal during the week proceeding the full moon -- the lack of energy to even get out of the bed -- being coupled with a severe lack of sleep made it a very unpleasant day before it even got started.

His feet wanted to drag behind him as he forced himself to his bathroom for a quick shower. The shower, in the end, did no better job of waking him than his alarm clock had. After slowly getting dressed, he trudged to his kitchen only find all that was left in his icebox was barely a cup-full of out of date milk, a slice of cheese, and a small container of yogurt with fruit in it.

The back part of his mind curled up it's nose in distaste. The rather human part of Remus took the yogurt and grabbed a plastic spoon from the silverware drawer. He leaned against the kitchen cabinets as he nibbled on the yogurt.

Remus turned as he heard a noise. The door to the room Sirius was holding himself up in had opened and the huge black dog slinked across the room and went into the recently vacated bathroom.

Remus amused himself for a moment, waiting for Sirius to emerge from the bathroom again. When the black dog reappeared, Remus called, "Hey Sirius, too lazy to get clothes on to go to the bathroom again are we?" Sirius snorted slightly. "What is it boy?" Remus said with a falsely over dramatic tone. "Did Harry fall down a well?"

Sirius stopped his journey across the flat and looked at him. If Remus had been looking at the human face of Sirius, he would have been giving him a rather flat look. Still, Remus could not resist the temptation to persist when Sirius gave a slight growl.

"What was that Sirius? There's a flock of dementors attacking the flat?"

Sirius disappeared into his own room and the door slammed shut. Another few moments passed and Sirius, as his human self, stumbled from his room with some pants on. Sirius rubbed his eyes and yawned deeply.

"Why?" Sirius yawned. "_Must _you insist on doing Lassie every time I walk through?"

"Yes," Remus replied seriously. Sirius gave Remus a long, annoyed, gaze then went back into his room. Remus finished up the small container of yogurt. He set the empty container on the counter as he picked up his coat and put it on.

His eyes fell to the folder on Greyback, which he had left on the sofa, and he felt himself shudder. The fine line between what he was and what he could have been made him doubt himself. He had always been considered "safe" in the eyes of almost everyone. The folder alone proved exactly how the outcome of one evening could have been the deciding factor of what sort of werewolf he would become.

As he picked up the folder and tucked it safely into his coat, Remus made a mental note to at least owl his mother later and thank her. Then, once again, Remus set out for the underground. This day he picked a seat close to the doors, in case he had to make a quick get away. His eyes scanned the other seats on the compartment. Though he wasn't expecting anything, he realized he was looking to see if Tonks was going to board that day or not.

Perhaps she was already on, in some zany sort of get up that would not allow him to recognize her. There was a small group close to the end of the compartment that was dressed in all black, with heavy chains attached to their clothing, several sizes of earrings in their ears, and oddly cut and colored hair. His senses told him that she was not included within that particular group, so Remus decided to study his hands instead.

Remus was in the middle of trying to remove some yogurt from beneath his nail when someone collided with his shoulder. The person that bumped into him staggered a few steps before her companion helped her regain her footing. There was many things Remus could have told himself, but there was no mistaking the two bright streaks of pink in the thick black hair. When she turned and placed a hand on his shoulder, it confirmed the wolf's suspicions.

"Excuse me. Sorry. I didn't mean to…" A smile went across the bubblegum pink lips and the dark eyes flickered with amusement. "I'm just clumsy. Sorry."

Remus just nodded slightly and whispered, "It's alright."

It was a surprise of how cold his shoulder became once her hand was removed from it. His eyes stayed on her as she moved, arm-in-arm, with the "witch hunter" to take a seat almost directly across from him. Remus could feel the wolf surging with anger as he watched the man lean over and whisper softly into Tonks' ear then softly kiss her cheek. But, what did not go unmissed was the fact she seemed to be fighting the urge to recoil from him.

In spite of the noise, Remus could hear bits and pieces of what the two were saying.

"When are you going to get rid of the pink?" the man huffed.

"You knew when we got together that I was younger and very different from the life you lead Richard," Tonks sighed in a manner that said they had actually had the same conversation several times before. "Besides, it's not like pink is one of those colors you can easily dye out."

The man stayed quiet for a long moment. "That man is staring at you again."

"What man?"

"The one from the other day. He's on again and he's staring at you."

"Maybe he thinks I'm pretty," Tonks said with a teasing tone.

Richard snorted. "I doubt it. Anyone that thinks you're pretty with those pink monstrosities in your hair has to be a bit soft in the head."

"Fuck off Richard," Tonks snapped.

The wolf within Remus started to seethe with anger again. The wolf seemed to think Tonks looked absolutely lovely with the pink in her hair and felt that the muggle must pay for offending her. However, Remus quickly suppressed the wolf's urge to run across the compartment and throttle the life out of the man.

Remus' eyes met Tonks' and she grinned wickedly at him. She teasingly caressed her bottom lip with her fingertip then slowly trailed the finger down her chin and neck, past her breasts and stomach, and to the bottom of her skirt. Remus felt like all blood had drained from his body as she played with the edge of the fabric then slowly started drawing it above her knees.

Remus looked back up to her face and saw that the wicked little grin was still firmly in place. He could feel the blood that had so recently disappeared begin to creep to his face, the more she made the skirt creep up her thighs. Before long the skirt had reached the top most part of her lap and Remus was playing with hell fire trying to get the wolf to settle back down where it belonged. He was almost at he his breaking point when the underground reached his stop. Remus instantly leapt to his feet and rushed for the doors.

Once above the ground, he took a seat on a bench to catch his breath. The chatter of the surrounding people was making his head hurt until he heard Tonks' voice come out of the mix.

"I'll see you after you get off work," she was saying.

Through the masses of people, Remus could barely catch a glimpse of the two engaged in a long kiss goodbye. The wolf did not know whether to feel angry and cheated or sad and rejected over the fact Tonks seemed to actually be enjoying the kiss. As the two pulled away, and Tonks delicately wiped the corner of her mouth with her fingers. The wolf decided to just withdraw away.

After the so-called "Richard" left, Tonks looked around and finally saw Remus. Remus felt his heart jump the instant she smiled at him and hurried over. Just before she made it over to him, one of her heels slipped from under her feet and she was on a collision course with the sidewalk. Before Tonks could even register she was falling, Remus jumped forward and yanked her against him.

Panting, Tonks grasped his arms and looked up at him. "Are your reflexes always that quick or is it just a fortunate time of the month?"

"A little of both I think," Remus replied, steadying her back to a normal footing again. Tonks remained against him and holding his arms for a long moment before she flushed lightly and released him. Remus took a quick glance at her clothes, before looking away. "Would you like to change before we go any further?"

Tonks looked surprised, but smiled. "Actually, yes. There's a place close by here that'll let me change in their dressing rooms. Want to come along?"

Tonks looked up at him with an almost pleading look in her eyes. So, who was Remus to decline when he was really only going to the Ministry to try and get her alone to talk about the Order? Perhaps he would have a chance before they made it to the Ministry.

"Lead and I will follow."

The place ended up being half a block from the underground. Like with most wizarding shops, most muggles walked past it as if it was not there. However, a few muggles actually stopped to look at the window display and surprisingly enough, then went inside. At first the loud music made Remus' ears hurt, but then after a second the volume seemed to tune itself perfectly to where it was just right for his heightened senses.

A young woman behind the register squealed upon seeing Tonks and ran over to hug her. After a long moment of hugging and squealing, the young clerk looked Tonks over and pursed her lips disapprovingly.

"You're still on that bloody case, Dora?" the girl asked. "Why can't ya just arrest the larker and be done with him?"

"It's not that simple in the magical world," Tonks replied. "Especially since we have no real proof yet. But rest assured the first time I catch him baiting a wizard or witch, we'll have him. He's an effective lout. Very effective at not leaving any clues."

"But no new murders since you've been trailing him then?" Tonks shook her head. The clerk finally seemed to notice Remus' presence and looked surprised. "May I help ya find something sir? Have to forgive m' rudeness… We don't get many older gents in 'ere."

"He's with me," Tonks piped. "Reed, this is Remus Lupin. Remus, this is one of my friends, Reed. She runs the place."

The clerk shook Remus' hand firmly. "Oy. 'E 'as got a nice firm grip like ya say Dora." At this, Tonks turned a deep crimson, even more so when Reed began to nudge her with an elbow. "Let's go try a few things on ya, Dora. Got some new things in just yesterda' that I think ya migh' like."

Tonks collected the various items Reed had behind the counter and turned to Remus. "Want to come with me? It'd be nice to have a man's eye view for once."

Remus simply shrugged his shoulders and followed Tonks to the changing rooms at the back of the shop. Tonks disappeared into the changing room and emerged a few moments later with some black pants with chains all over them, a lime green t-shirt and matching short, spiky hair.

"Do you find me offensive?" Tonks barked out, then grinned widely.

"Not in the least," Remus chuckled.

"Why not?" Tonks huffed, with her fists on her hips. She put her nose in the air, in a mock offended manner, and turned on her heels. One of her feet caught on a chain from the other leg, causing her to stumble into the door of the changing room. "Well, that rules these out."

"Why does the lady here and that guy call you Dora?" Remus asked, as Tonks closed herself in the changing room again. He could feel his ears perk with every rattle of the chained pants she was removing.

"Well, for those that don't like calling me Tonks, they call me Dora."

"That didn't answer my question. There has to be a reason they chose 'Dora'," Remus pointed out.

"It's a rare treat, trust me. It's a very condensed version of my given name, which is Nymphadora." There was a loud thud from the changing room followed by Tonks yelping in slight pain. "And my mother wonders why I just go by my surname… Out right ludicrous to saddle a child with a name like Nymphadora. Took me forever to learn to pronounce it right."

Tonks emerged from the changing room again. This time she was in a pair of too-long shorts with more than enough pockets to humor any person, a dark purple t-shirt over a striped pink and black long sleeve shirt, and dark purple hair with pink tips. "Hang on…" Tonks looked in the big mirror outside of the changing room and squished her face for a moment as if heavy concentration. After a moment she straightened her face and smiled with approval. "Better. Well? What do you think?"

She turned toward Remus. Her face looked a shade or two paler with heavy, dramatic eyeliner, and shimmery blue lipstick. For a young adult, she looked ready to take on the world. Professionally, she looked like she could use some help dressing herself.

"Is the slightly paler too much?" Remus nodded slightly and Tonks squished up her face again and it faded back to her normal shade of pale. "Is that better?" Remus nodded again and Tonks smiled brightly. "REED! I found my outfit for today!"

Reed scurried to the back. "That be all then Dora?"

"Yeah I just needed something to get me out of that dress. I'll come back for the rest after I get paid."

Remus looked at his watch. To his surprise, it was nearly mid-day. He supposed this would be a better time than any to try and get Tonks to luncheon with him. "Tonks. Would you be interested in joining me for lunch before you go to the Ministry?"

Tonks seemed to have to catch her breath and just stared at him a long moment. "Wou-- I… yes! Of course, I'd love to go to lunch with you Remus."

For some reason, Remus had the sudden impression that perhaps she had taken his invitation in the wrong context. So, Remus resolved to put her right as soon as they arrived at wherever it was they picked for their luncheon.

* * *

AN: Don't forget, I have a forum open for the discussion of this fic and any questions you may have about it... ;) 


	3. Chapter 3

Author: LupinLovesTonks  
Rated: T due to future situationsDisclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.

AN: Two new chapters... Sorry it too so long my editor was rather busy and it took her while to get Chapter Three back. and then there were technical difficulties and lots of other drama... Got Questions about the fic? Go to my user profile and check out my forums, I have a thread specially for this fic.

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Maybe she was setting herself up for a massive let down. After all, he was a polite and rather intelligent man so the odds of him actually wanting to take her to luncheon for anything more than a friendly outing was slim. But, it didn't change the fact that she had felt it the moment she had first seen him. 

He had been staring at her, transfixed that first day she had seen him on the underground. It was one of the first times she had really felt beautiful. It was the first time in a long while that a man gazing at her hadn't made her want to ask what the hell was wrong. And then he had turned up at the Ministry.

She hadn't known what to think when she had seen him there, other than the fact that it meant he was obviously a wizard. Even though some rather embarrassing things that had been said about her -- such as her life's ambition to get laid by a werewolf -- was actually just an extravagant in-joke between her and Kingsley, she had played hell trying to remain calm and cool and not show that she really just felt like running and hiding until doomsday. In fact, the thought of doing anything of a sexual nature with a werewolf had never crossed Tonks' mind until after he had left the Ministry that day.

She had locked herself in the bathroom at work for nearly an hour, hoping that he would be gone when she came out. She had finally cracked under the stress of trying not to be embarrassed. After all, she had spat out some rather embarrassing things about herself as if she was completely alright with sharing the information, hoping to somehow redeem herself in Remus' eyes.

Maybe it had helped, maybe it hadn't. All Tonks really cared about was that he hadn't seemed hesitant to speak to her after she had sent Richard along his way to work. In fact, there had been something in his eyes… something primal and almost animal-like had seemed to be hiding somewhere within him

Tonks mentally kicked herself as she realized, of course there would be something primal and animal-like. It was less than a week before the full moon. According to a book she borrowed the day after meeting Remus, that week was a hellacious time for werewolves -- Having to constantly battle between the man and the animal. She had never realized that it would be such a beautiful struggle to see in the eyes of a werewolf…. Especially when she had been doing her mock seduction of him on the underground.

That was what she had imagined when Richard had wanted to kiss her goodbye. She had imagined it was Remus, with that primal look in his eyes, kissing her. For the past few days, imagining it was Remus had been the only way she could bring herself to even kiss Richard.

She looked up at Remus and slightly grinned to herself. Richard and Remus were about the same age, yet Remus was everything Richard pretended to be. Remus was kind and sweet, unlike Richard, he actually allowed her to have her arm draped around his even though she looked at least ten times more punkish than she did when with Richard.

They arrived at a cute little place with lots of outdoor tables. Remus selected a table and pulled out Tonks' chair. Tonks looked at him, confused for a long moment, then it dawned on her that he was being a gentleman and pulling out her chair for her. She felt her cheeks warm and she quickly took the seat.

"You know, that's the first time anyone has ever done that for me," Tonks admitted as Remus scooted her up to the table. Remus took a seat, not across from her, but in the seat next to her. At this point, Tonks didn't care if she had gotten the wrong expectations for the luncheon, no man had ever really did anything remotely gentleman-like for her before.

"Tonks, may I ask you a question?" Remus glanced over to her, then lowered his voice. "Kingsley suggested that I ask you this because he thinks you would be the perfect person for me to ask this of… And after meeting you the other day I have to admit… A person of your talent and ambition is exactly what I have been looking for."

It felt like Tonks' heart had fluttered out of her chest, by route of her throat. She didn't know whether to hope he was offering or not. The small, rational, part of her brain told her not to jump to conclusions and just hear what he had to say. However, she couldn't stop herself from making some sort of comment.

"You have no idea how talented and ambitious I can be," she quipped, with a suggestive tone.

It seemed to do the trick for a moment because Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times before clearing his throat and continuing. "I am going to tell you something Tonks and we need to be very discrete about this because I assure you the last thing you we'll want is to have anyone within the Ministry besides myself, you, and Kingsley to know about this."

Tonks, wide eyed and rather curiously, nodded and agreed.

"I am just going to cut to the point here Tonks. Kingsley and I think you would be a wonderful asset to The Order of the Phoenix." Once the words had left Remus' mouth, Tonks felt her draw drop in surprise. "It's precisely everything Fudge is trying to hide from the Magical World at this moment… Headed by Dumbledore." Remus was gazing at her, as if waiting for a response. "Tonks?" He raised an eyebrow. "Nymphadora?"

Tonks felt herself startle. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear it. "Don't call me that!" she squeaked.

"Does that sound like something you would be interested in? Being part of the forefront against Voldemort?" Remus paused. "Are you alright?"

Tonks nodded and waved her hand dismissively. "You just --" wounded my fragile ego "--caught me off guard is all." Then stomped all over the pieces.

She hadn't gotten her hopes up that much, had she? Of course it had been fun to toy with the idea, but had she really thought that was why they were at lunch together? Then again, it was a major turn from the conversation she had been sensing was arising. Perhaps that was what caught her mind off guard.

"Yeah, of course I would love to be part of it all…" Tonks found herself gazing across the street as she replied.

With a sudden new idea, Tonks looked back at Remus and grinned widely. He wanted her to be part of a dangerous secret society? He was wanting her to fight along with him against the powers of Voldemort and his armies? She could have called the idea many things, but clever was the one thing that stood out amongst them all. Being part of The Order of the Phoenix seemed to be the perfect chance to get to know Remus a little better, as well as the perfect chance to take out some death eaters.

"I like a little danger," Tonks grinned. She leaned in close to Remus, knowing the game she was playing very well. Of course, he was a werewolf so she had no real idea to what extent a little subtle flirting could do to either of them. "That's why I am on the mission I am on right now. It was dangerous. At any moment Richard could find out I'm a witch and I'd be a goner. That's how he plays. But what makes it even more dangerous is that he is a rather handsome guy that somewhat knows how to charm a lady."

Something flickered in Remus' eyes as he gave a slow, half-smile. "And how is that dangerous?"

"There's nothing more dangerous than falling for the wrong sort of guy," Tonks explained. "Lucky for me I'm not exactly qualified as 'lady' material. But still the possibility is there…"

"There was definitely something there when I saw you two after the underground."

"No, that was me, Richard, and much more dangerous type lad in his place. As Kingsley said the other day, I'd do almost anything for a case. That includes having to fantasize about other men in order to kiss that son of a bitch." Tonks flashed her eyes to Remus' only long enough to make sure he still had his attention on her.

She shifted in her seat slightly and sat back, crossing her legs. Part of her wondered if he was taking her seriously or if he knew exactly the sport she was playing. He didn't know her well enough as of yet to probably tell if she was playing or not. At this point, Tonks didn't even know if she was playing a game or attempting something more death-defying. She knew that eventually she would meet her breaking point and she would either snap or breakdown.

If she snapped, she would throw herself at him. If she broke down she would find the closest bathroom and hide for a few minutes.

"Nymphadora." Tonks shot Remus a deadly glare that immediately brought down her challenging mood. "If I didn't know better I would say that you were trying to give me delusions of grandeur about yourself."

Tonks managed a half smile. "Please, call me Tonks," she said with a mock, sweet tone. "And what if I am?"

The amusing glow left Remus' eyes. His eyes searched her face with more questions than Tonks knew how to answer. After a moment of silence, Remus reached over and gently took her hands in his. "I may be mistaken but, Tonks, rest assured that I am not the kind of danger you need to play with. I've been around several more years than you and very well know when a pretty girl like yourself is trying to let me know they are -- shall we say -- interested. I think we could make rather good friends though. I just don't want you to hurt yourself by thinking it could possibly ever be anything more than that."

Well that was a rather quick crash and burn effect, Tonks thought. One moment he had been playing her game and matching her point for point. The next moment, all the playfulness had gone and all that was left was a serious man with serious words. Tonks could feel her heart starting to catch up with what her mind was registering.

Play it off, play it off Tonks, she told herself. She wrinkled her nose and leaned close to Remus once more. "I won't hurt myself, I promise," she whispered in a sneaky tone. Then she lunged forward and pressed her lips to his. For a moment he pulled back, but she clasped her hand to the back of his head and deepened her advance. Within a few seconds, Remus was no longer attempting to pull away, but instead he was a rather eager partaker.

Without warning, Remus abruptly pulled away. His eyes wouldn't meet hers as he threw a few pound notes on the table and stood up.

"Kingsley will arrive at your place within the next two weeks. Hopefully by then we'll have our headquarters set up and ready for the meetings," Remus said shortly. Without another word, Remus excused himself.

Tonks watched as he disappeared into the crowd of people on the sidewalks. She was confused now that she had gone and done what she had. Part of her had expected him to push her away and ask her what the hell she was thinking. She hadn't expected him to momentarily respond in a positive manner and then leave the way he had. It was almost like a battle between to sides of him.

With a heavy sigh, Tonks lifted a finger to the air. "Check please." After the waitress brought the check for the two drinks that had been supplied, Tonks paid and made her way to an empty side alley and took out her wand. With a pop she was back at her small flat.

Once she had plopped down on her rickety old sofa, she pointed her wand and a silvery creature emerged from it's tip. "Go tell Kingsley I'm getting some sleep before I have to go back to Richard's in six hours," she sighed and the creature zipped off to deliver the message.

She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror as she made her way to her room. For a moment she stopped and looked at the ridiculous girl staring back at her. At that particular moment she found herself offensive to look at. She stripped off the clothing and changed her hair to it's natural state, short, spiked, and mousy-brown. Part of her was tempted to just keep herself that way at all times but she knew that her mission required her to use her skills to look like the girl Remus had seen draped on Richard's arm.

It had taken her several tries to find a girl that Richard found visually appealing. With the exception of the pink she would wear in her hair, her disguise had been perfect enough for him to like. She kept the pink streaks because she wanted to give him something to nitpick over. It kept her from getting to personally involved. She could never love anyone that didn't like her the way she decided to be.

Some small part of her felt she had found that in Remus. He hadn't been offended when she had tried her most bizarre color scheme of lime green, instead he seemed to be somewhat amused by it… amused in a good way at least. With a laugh, Tonks changed her hair to her favorite bubble gum pink and went into her room to get some sleep.

888

Remus dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and removed the shrunken folder from his pocket. He mentally kicked himself as he put it to its right size and set it down beside the keys. That just meant he would have to take to the Ministry some other day. Perhaps it would have been in his best interest to just package it up and send it to Kingsley at the Ministry…

He didn't want to see her again at that moment. Not that he had found her blatant advance on him offensive. In fact, it had been quiet the opposite. It had surprised him at first, yes, but another part of him had momentarily taken over and he had let himself enjoy it.

Don't blame me, that was all you, a small voice whispered.

"Yes it was," Remus snapped aloud. "It was you and you know it."

I was resting the whole time. I have no control during this time. It's only day and night I have almost complete control. The rest is you wanting to blame me. It's just the old insecurities popping in again. I like her, I think she's fun.

"Exactly," Remus snorted. "Remember what happened the last time you thought a girl was 'fun'? Remember what I put myself through?"

Sadly, yes. But the time she was with us, it was a time of freedom. It was a time full of the kind of love you were seeking.

"Having a conversation with the wolf again are we?" Remus turned to see Sirius propped against his bedroom doorway. Sirius swaggered over to him and nodded toward the folder. "I thought you were taking that back." He hopped up to sitting on the kitchen counter.

"I ended up having to change my plans," Remus said. "I ended up meeting a rather nice girl for luncheon instead."

"And this is a conflict to yours and the wolf's interest because…?" Sirius pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. "From what I gather… the wolf finds her fun and you have some sort of objection due to that fact. Because you want a girl that's not fun?"

Remus shook his head. "No. I just don't want to go through what I did last time."

"You will have to fill me in on what she did because I was sort of locked away in Azkaban at the time," Sirius reminded.

Remus sighed heavily. "Let's just say, in a figurative sense, that she ripped my heart out, stomped on it a few times then shoved it down my throat. Actually I would have preferred she done that to what she actually did." Remus looked down at his feet. "When I told her I was a wizard she just looked at me like I had done something wrong. When I tried to see her again afterwards, in the middle of the streets, she just yelled, 'Stay away from me you freak'. It hurt badly because she had already told be previously that no matter what, she would love me."

Sirius gave a long whistle. "Good thing you didn't tell her you were a werewolf too then? She would have really flipped her wig then aye?" Sirius barked with laughter. "You know what that means though mate? It doesn't mean be careful the next time a fun girl comes along. It means get out there and find another one that would actually love any and every little thing about you. Even the fact that you have arguments with your wolf."

Sirius hopped off the counter and went to the refrigerator.

"By the way, Snuffles went to the market today with some money and brought us back some food. They just delivered it about an hour ago." He took out a couple of apples and tossed one to Remus. Then he went back to the counter and hopped back onto it. "So, tell me about this new fun girl."

"She's a metamorphmagus," Remus replied. "She's an Auror…"

"Say no more," Sirius chuckled. "Sounds like a winner to me. She probably even knows you're a werewolf, given your name is on the bloody register posted up there."

"She knows," Remus agreed.

"Then what's stopping you?" Sirius asked.

"Does the words Junior Auror mean anything? According to Kingsley she's still in her early twenties."

"So?" Sirius shrugged. "Old men make it with young girls all the time. Though most of them are coming off from having a wife that was closer to his age recently dying. But still, it happens all the time. There's nothing wrong with it. Added bonus, she doesn't call you a freak because you're a werewolf."

"You're not helping you know," Remus said flatly. "I am trying to talk myself out of it, not into it."

Sirius smirked. "Maybe you should try to talk yourself into it."

"No, I think one kiss from her is enough. Thank you for your concern though."

Sirius' eyes lit up as if he had just been given a Christmas present. "Now see here, you didn't say she had kissed you already. That alone means that you should at least try to have a go. Besides, it's not like it's your fault you became a werewolf. No need to punish yourself over it."

"I don't want to Sirius and let's put an end to it," Remus snapped. He calmed his tone. "She's too nice of a girl to waste it on someone like me. To want to waste it on someone like me, rather."

Sirius heaved an annoyed sigh and mumbled something to the extent of letting her be the one to decide. He got down off the counter and retreated back to his room.

Remus stood there for a long moment, just staring at the Greyback folder as he nibbled on the apple. For now, he was even more confused about the dilemma whirling around in his mind. Then, he resolved to just wait until he could no longer hear the whispering of the wolf to decide what he really was holding up within himself.

Until then, he was not venturing out of his home for anything.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Just the way you are.  
Author: LupinLovesTonksRated: T due to future situationsDisclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

"Just keep your eyes closed for a moment," Kingsley said quietly.

After a long moment Kingsley led her forward. He was lucky she trusted him or she wouldn't have allowed him to lead her blindly into a house. Instead of veering left or right to go to one of the houses she had seen before closing her eyes, they walked straight. He led her up a few steps and she heard him knock at a door.

She heard the door slowly creak open and she was led into the foulest smelling room she had ever been into. It smelled heavily of mold, dust, and staleness. She doubled over coughing and gagging from the stench. At that moment, Tonks was unable to keep her promise to keep her eyes closed.

"Don't worry, we all did that our first time in," a familiar voice said. It was familiar in a way she didn't know. As if she _should_ have known the voice but knew she had never heard it before.

When she recovered from the gagging and coughing, she straightened herself to look into the face of a man she had seen several times in the Ministry, on sneering posters. _Sirius Black_. He was her mother's nephew, so Tonks knew why she thought she should have known his voice.

"What's he doing here?" she growled.

Kingsley chuckled. "Believe it or not, Tonks, he's here because he's on our side. We'll fill you in the library." Kingsley nodded toward Sirius in a friendly manner. "Sirius, if you could do the honors."

"I'd love to," Sirius piped in a falsely cheerful tone. "Because that's my task within the order… To show people to the library."

Kingsley chuckled again and walked onward toward a door at the end of the corridor.

"Come with me please," Sirius said with an exhausted sigh. "I promise I won't hurt you. Remus would kill me if I did."

Tonks felt her heart leap into her throat. She followed Sirius into the library, which looked like it had recently been cleaned except for a few minor things. She took a seat on one of the chairs in the room and gazed at Sirius, as if demanding answers. Once upon a time, her mother had said Sirius was a good lad, never did any harm to anyone. But the last Tonks had heard Sirius was a vicious murderer that had betrayed the Potters.

"I already know what you want to ask," Sirius said, grinning widely. He wanted over and roughed her hair, making her yelp slightly when he tugged on a few of the strands. "Sorry, you had something on there… Remus will be along after he gives his status report and tells the Order all about you."

"That's not what I was wanting to ask," Tonks informed flatly.

"Ah, so I should have trusted my gut instinct and told you that I did not murder Peter Pettigrew and that he is actually very much still alive. I think the details over Dumbledore's 'ravings' are on file at the Ministry so pretty much everything they say in there is what I would tell you." Sirius plopped down on a sofa. "So, all that aside, when Remus gets here I'll let the two of you have some alone time."

Tonks laughed slightly. "I don't really think that'll be necessary. Unless, of course he wants to be in the same room alone with me."

Sirius gave a throaty chuckle. "I am living at his place until I can get this run down place to vaguely function as a home. Trust me, I think I know what I'm talking about when I say that he would definitely like to get you alone." He gave a slight wink. "But don't let him know I told you that."

Tonks felt her cheeks warm and Sirius barked with laughter. She stood and walked around the library while Sirius mixed up some drinks. Her brow furrowed when she saw one titled _The Complete Family History of the House of Black_. With tentative fingers she reached up to pluck the book off the shelf, but a noise from the door made her jump and tuck her hands into her pockets.

Remus had entered the room. Sirius just smiled brightly brought Tonks one of his mixed drinks then took another to Remus.

"Enjoy you two," Sirius grinned, then exited the library.

888

Remus looked down at the glass Sirius had put in his hand. Out of precaution, or perhaps just plain paranoia, Remus sniffled the contents. In an instant, Remus looked up as Tonks was about to take a sip from hers. "Don't drink that! Smell it first. Sirius put a love potion in mine."

Tonks held out her glass and blinked several times, but took a sniff of her own. She closed her eyes and gave a contented sigh. "It's been along time since I smelt one of those. Smells like a crisp spring morning, coffee, and--" she frowned slightly. "--Wet dog fur? Weird."

Remus inhaled the ever-changing scent of the love potion in his drink. Each scent was new and made him think of youthful days of spontaneity mixed with a very faint flowery scent he remembered his wolf picking up on from Tonks. If he hadn't known what the drink would have done, he would have drank it in an instant just because of the relaxing nature the combination of the scents made him feel.

He set the glass down on the first table he passed, as he walked deeper into the room. Even without the ever-present voice of the wolf in his mind, Remus felt his heart drop when his eyes met Tonks'. Today she looked somewhat normal with short, spiked, bubblegum pink hair. She was wearing some rather threadbare jeans, laceless shoes, and a maroon Weird Sisters tank top.

Without the echo of the wolf, Remus could honestly tell himself that, had he been a little younger, Tonks would have definitely appealed to his male senses. Not that she didn't of course he was, after all, a man capable of breathing. She was a very appealing girl.

Remus took a seat on the sofa and sighed heavily. "So we meet again," he said simply.

Tonks stopped smelling her drink and set it down abruptly. She walked over to join him on the sofa, slightly tripping over the thick rug between them. Remus couldn't help but vaguely smile at the fact she was so uncoordinated. It was one of her rather endearing traits because she would always flush a light shade of pale pink afterwards. When she sat down next to him, she looked down at her hands and fidgeted with her fingers for a moment.

"Remus, about the other day," she said quietly. "I would just like to apologize if you found what I did offensive. I know a girl like me is not something a guy like you would really like to be seen snogging on in public."

In truth, Remus had not felt the least bit offended. After he had gotten over the initial shock, sometime after his conversation with Sirius had ended, Remus had reflected and thought it had been one of the nicest things to happen to him a long time. But he wasn't about to give her that kind of power over him, so he kept quiet and let her continue.

"I mean, yeah… bright green hair, dressed like a little punk kid," Tonks rambled. "And you looked all handsome and refined. It had to have offended you to be seen by others. The truth is that I am not every--"

"That's enough," Remus said quietly. Instantly, Tonks fell silent. "I didn't care about that Nymphadora--" she visibly cringed "--All I do care about is that you are honest with yourself about who and what you are. Don't pretend to be something you're not for the sake of myself or any others."

Tonks looked at him, an expression between out right surprise and slight confusion was on her face. Then a smile broke across her face that lit up her entire face. It was a look as if Remus had just said the right combination of words to earn him a permanent place as a close friend.

To clarify, Remus continued, "For example. This is not the first time I've seen you with the short pink hair."

Tonks grinned and ran her fingers over her short hair. "It's actually my favorite," she admitted.

"Personally, I think it looks lovely on you because it somehow fits _you_," Remus said. He was being as honest as he could be, hopefully without encouraging her too much. But the look on her face said that he was definitely doing so anyway.

"Thank you," Tonks said quietly. "You have no idea how much it means to hear someone say something like that." She looked at the drink in her hand as she moved to take a drink then put it on the floor with a frown. "Why would he put a love potion in our drinks?"

Remus chuckled. "Because he's Sirius, that's why. He did something similar when we were at Hogwarts, when I got a fancy for a girl and she had the same sort of fancy for me. He said he was 'encouraging' us." Remus had said the words before he had realized what he was planning to say.

Tonks looked at him, with a slightly surprised expression look on her face. It was there only for a fleeting moment and then it was gone again. At least Remus had to admit, he was impressed at how Tonks was trying not to show her reaction to things he was saying that most women might have jumped upon in hopes of trapping him.

His eyes fell to her lips. He suddenly found himself transfixed by them. In spite of being very capable to have uninfluenced thinking, Remus couldn't help but think about how they had felt on his own lips two weeks earlier. He felt the same heaviness in his chest as he had felt while she had kissed him.

In all honesty, it hadn't really been that impressive of a kiss. Remus had had better first kisses, but he couldn't remember ever feeling such soft and warm lips before. Part of him, which Remus knew was in no way influenced by the wolf, wanted nothing more to try again and see if a second kiss would be better. A more rational side of Remus wanted to hesitate.

Remus sighed heavily. Even outside of the influence of the wolf, he was still very much taken with the young woman. Especially when he thought about how lovely she had looked when he had first seen her on the underground. But, even more so, when he thought about how wickedly playful she was.

He looked over at Tonks. She immediately looked down at her lap, face flushed with embarrassment. There was suddenly no desire to hesitate. He placed a finger under her chin and turned her face toward his. The fact he was still experiencing such emotions without the prodding of the wolf was very illogical to Remus.

Tonks' eyes widened for a moment when he moved in, but then her eyes closed expectantly when his lips were barely touching hers. A slow ragged sigh escaped between her lips when Remus let his hover for a long torturous moment. He felt her moisten her lips with her tongue; her breathing was beginning to intensify with each moment he kept his lips barely touching hers. Finally a small, faint whimper seemed to work its way from her throat.

It was that moment Remus chose to capture her lips then proceeded to ravish them with his mouth. There was no hesitation from her. Her fingers had instantly tangled themselves in his hair, her body had instantly pressed as close as it could get to his. There was a certain type of warmth, a certain fire in Tonks' lips that he had almost experienced before. He had almost experienced it but it had never been quiet like the way he felt it with Tonks. He remembered, once upon a time, wishing he could feel something like it, almost reaching it with a few women in his past and being sorely disappointed that he had never felt it.

Now was the moment he felt the feeling he had always been searching for. It was something wild and free, without any inhibitions tacked onto them. She knew he was a wizard, she knew he was a werewolf.

The kiss felt like a sweet release for his spirit. But, at the same time, he thought it was wrong. He should not have felt it with her. He should have felt nothing when her lips had touched his so he could have gone on with his life, knowing that he could not have ever felt anything other than a friendly affection for her. But, no, he felt free and whole. With just a kiss he could feel an eternity forming in the back of his mind.

And it may have taken shape if Sirius hadn't come in.

"Hey Remus Dumbledore is wanting to know if… Ah! My eyes!"

Remus leapt away from Tonks. Or perhaps, more appropriately, he went across the room. He also wondered how it was humanly possible to pin a woman to a sofa without realizing he was moving or realizing that her legs had practically wrapped themselves around his waist.

Remus picked a book up off the desk and leafed through the pages. After clearing his throat a few times, he finally managed, "Dumbledore was wanting to know if…?"

"I think I sort of got my answer," Sirius chuckled. "But I'll humor you. He wanted to know if you could see yourself doing one of the stakeouts with Tonks. But I don't think you would mind it too much really."

Remus glanced over at Tonks. She was still wide-eyed and trying to right herself in her seat. "I think perhaps you should ask her if she would mind. She has a mission at the Ministry that may well tire her out quickly if done at the same time as Order nights."

Tonks shook her head to clear it and smiled widely. "What?" She shook her head again. "I mean, it shouldn't be a problem. I can sleep while Richard is at work. Another Auror keeps tabs on him there." She looked between Remus and Sirius. "So they're letting me in?"

Sirius nodded. "You can leave at anytime you wish. When it's time for the next meeting, Dumbledore will somehow let you know where this place is."

Tonks nodded excited and stood up, weaving slightly once she did so. She softly laughed and shook her head to clear it one last time. "I think I do need to get going, really. I have to wake up early to start keeping the morning tabs on Richard." Her eyes flickered to Remus. "Good night."

Her face flushed slightly as she made her way past Sirius. Once they heard the entrance door open and shut, Sirius smirked widely.

"We didn't drink it Sirius," Remus said pointedly, knowing exactly what his friend was thinking. He must have been correct because Sirius pursed his lips in a manner that would have rivaled Molly.

"So you two just let it go to waste?" Sirius sighed. "Wonderful. I spent good money on that potion and it went to waste…"

"It's not like you don't have several bottles hidden away somewhere just _waiting_ to just _slip _into drinks. You forget Sirius, I know you very well. And I know how obsessive you can be when it comes to your evil, diabolical plans."

Sirius simply narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You have yet to see me obsessed."

"Sirius," Remus sighed heavily. He put the book he was holding down on the desk and approached his friend. He placed his hands on Sirius' shoulders. "I appreciate the gesture. I really do. But I have no desire to pursue a relationship, especially not with someone half my age. Just please, stay out of my love life… for once in your life."

Sirius gazed at him steadily for a long moment. "You know, Remus… You may be able to block me out of your head, but I know when you're lying."

888

She had been on cloud nine most of the way to her flat. Of course, most of the time had been spent actually trying to _find_ her flat from Grimmauld Place. But she hadn't seemed to care in the least that it took her more than two hours to find a place that was only two streets away. It had even started to drizzle a misty ran and all she had done was imitate the actors from _Singing in the Rain_.

If her mother had seen her, she would have asked if Tonks had gotten a hold of some sort of drug at a party. No, Tonks would have replied. Then she would have spilled about a kiss that was much more potent than any drug. She may be wrong, but as far as she was concerned, she was definitely going to be having some rather nice and graphic dreams later that night.

Tonks did a twirl and gave a deep curtsey to her door before slipping the key in. She sang off key to her belongings, while she made herself a sandwich for dinner. She was happy for a rather obvious reason, but not for the reason most would have thought.

She was happy because of a kiss from one Remus Lupin. Her was still fluttering from the thought of it. Once upon a time, her mother had told her that one day she would experience an impassioned, all consuming, make-your-toes-curl, type of kiss. Of course, before that kiss two hours earlier, Tonks had never felt that way. And more than just her toes had curled up.

Tonks fell onto her sofa with a satisfied sigh, leaving her sandwich in the kitchen, forgotten for the time being. She had never really been able to see herself ever getting into a long and lasting relationship until two hours ago. Even when she had met Remus and formed her fondness for him, she hadn't ever phantom the idea that she would have been willing to "settle down" with him. Now, such a thing didn't seem such an odd type of thing to do.

She could definitely get used to the idea of waking up next to Remus everyday. Not someone like him, Remus in specific. She could also see herself doing something she swore she would never do… having children.

Tonks' eyes widened and she gave a small squeak. "Slow down brain," she said. "Too much to take on at the moment. Commitment to one person is enough for right now, wait a few months before you start playing with the idea of a house full of ankle bitters."

She could help but laugh in spite of herself. How could one kiss change so much?

Tonks jumps when a knock sounded at her door. She pulled out her wand and slowly approached the door. When she looked out of the peephole, her blood froze. Richard was standing on the other side. She opened the door only a crack, but kept herself well behind it.

"Hang on Richard," she squeaked. "I was in the middle of cleaning. Let me put something up right quickly and I'll be back to let you in." Without waiting for an answer, Tonks shut the door and turned the security lock.

She raced to the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She concentrated on getting it back to the style she usually wore when in the company of Richard. Her hair took on a few black streaks within the bubblegum pink. Panicking, she tried again.

_Nothing changed_.

"Oh God," Tonks gulped. She closed her eyes and tried to stop panicking, if she panicked, she always had problems getting her hair to do whatever she wanted. After a few slow, deep breaths she concentrated. When she opened her eyes, she smiled at her reflection. "Perfect."

She raced to unlock the door and let Richard in. He greeted her with a kiss. She couldn't help but notice Richard's lips were cold, and somewhat hard, compared to the warmth and softness of Remus'. Richard looked around her humble little flat and wrinkled his nose.

"I thought you said you were cleaning?" he asked with distaste.

"I had just started when you got here," Tonks said, plastering on a fake smile. "Besides, you know me and cleaning."

"Where have you been all night?" Richard demanded coldly. "I had made plans for us tonight, remember? Unfortunately it's entirely too late to make good on those plans."

Tonks sighed heavily. "And what did I tell you when you popped them on me yesterday? I told you had plans with some friends and that I wasn't going to blow them off when we had been planning our outing for two weeks."

Richard looked furious. It was the first time Tonks had ever seen his eyes darken in that particular manner. However, after a moment, Richard made his expression more pleasant even though his eyes remained dark and clouded. To show there was no hard feeling, Richard pulled Tonks close and kissed her deeply.

For a moment, Tonks returned it, comparing it to the over-whelming feeling she had received from Remus' kiss. She pulled away roughly and wiped away a tear that had formed in her eyes. She choked back everything she wanted to call Richard and say to him, she simply managed, "Just go home. I don't need this right now."

She could have sworn Richard sneered. If he had, it had disappeared as quickly as it had come. As soon as she shut the door, she morphed her hair back to short, spiked, and pink.

Remus was by far a gentleman in all aspects in her book. He was everything she had wished Richard could have been… well, if Richard hadn't been a homicidal wizard killer that is. It was somewhat of a shame that an attractive, poor, older, werewolf was such a gentleman and that the handsome, wealthy, older muggle man was nothing more than just a cheap imitation of everything the first one stood for.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Just the way you are.  
Author: LupinLovesTonks  
Rated: T due to future situations  
Disclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.  
AN: Please see my forums for replies to any comments/questions made in reviews.

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

Tonks shivered in spite of the warmth of her flat. It felt like a dementor was standing in her flat at that particular moment. She was still trying to piece together exactly what had just happened. One moment she was able to play her part of the cool calm girlfriend. The next she had shoved Richard away the second he had lifted her blouse too high for her liking.

He had persisted, yes. But when she kept shoving him away each time he tried, he became rather furious. Of course, it didn't help that lately Remus had been on the underground every single morning. She never would have guessed Richard would have suspected anything of it. Remus would watch her with that certain glimmer in his eyes; she would do her best not to notice but never could help but grin ear to ear the whole trip.

"Is it that man?" Richard had demanded.

Perplexed, Tonks had asked the obvious question, "What man?"

"The one from the tube," Richard had snapped.

Of course, Tonks had done her damnedest to play it off as if she had no idea what Richard had been talking about. After she had made him leave, Tonks had paced and paced some more. Then she had pocketed her wand and left her flat, seeking the only place she truly felt at ease as of late.

Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

888

Remus poured himself another glass full of brandy and carefully set the container back where it had come from. It wasn't very often he indulged himself in the drink. Unless, as the case was tonight, he was particularly stressed because it was almost a week from the next full moon.

Tonight he would be able to drink his brandy in peace and quiet. Had he waited to attempt the next night, he would have had to put up with the snarky comments from his wolf. And snarky comments were not what Remus wanted to be thinking of at that particular moment. He preferred thinking about the lovely little nymphet that had pretty much leapt out of nowhere, grabbed his heart, and ran off giggling.

Of course, she also claimed he did the same -- without so much giggling but the comparison still stood firm in Remus' mind. The way Tonks had described it made him sound more sly and wolfish about the way he captured her attention. One could describe their relationship at the moment as serious -- if one could truly ever laugh as much as the two of them did and still be considered "serious," that is.

Over a month had passed since the day Tonks had been accepted into The Order. And what a fun month it had been too, Remus thought, slightly smiling in spite of himself. Not that they had gotten too carried away. Sure there had been nights she came over to see him at Grimmauld and of course those nights had almost pushed Remus to the brink of his sanity with wanting to do more than their clothed bodies could tolerate.

They had tried to keep it quiet from the others, but of course Sirius' big mouth had pretty much ruined _that_ idea. Luckily none of the Weasley children had been around so they were spared the mental image of their professor having any sort of sexual life, or almost-sexual life as was his case.

Remus jumped slightly when a pair of hands clapped down over his eyes. "I was just thinking of you, Nymphadora," Remus grinned.

"Ha!" she laughed. "I finally snuck up on you."

Remus shook his head. "I jumped just so you would think you had." Tonks hurried around the back of the sofa and leapt into his lap, successfully straddling him. For a moment, he had caught her playfulness, but one look into her eyes and he knew that it was merely a façade. "What's wrong?"

Tonks sighed heavily and pursed her lips. "Richard is being an old git again. I can't wait for him to make a mistake so I can be done with him once and for all." She sighed again. "And I came here because I didn't feel like being at home. I thought I could make much better use of my time and skills here with you." She adjusted her weight a little better on his lap and grinned widely. "So, what were you thinking about me? Anything naughty or kinky?"

Remus placed his hands on her waist and pulled her flush against him. "Isn't it always?" he asked.

"I think I need to take a shower," Tonks said, pulling herself off of Remus' lap. "I smell like icky Richard slime." She visibly shuddered and twitched a few times for dramatic effect.

Remus frowned. He worried about Tonks. Her task with The Ministry had the potential to be rather dangerous, Kingsley had explained all the details and it had served no purpose other than to make Remus worry even more about Tonks being left alone with Richard. It was why he had taken to keeping watch over her during the mornings and when she had to meet Richard again around three. Of course, Remus wasn't too sure she knew about him following her during her afternoon shift.

Tonks leaned in and lightly brushed her lips over his. "Don't worry about me Remus," she said softly. "He didn't do anything out of sorts."

Remus sighed heavily and lightly patted Tonks' hip. "Go get your shower then love. I'll be in my room waiting for you." He pulled her back into his lap and kissed her, she seemed to melt into his arms, and he could even feel her smile against his lips. So, he knew everything was in fact okay and she was able to take care of herself.

Tonks gave a soft laugh and pulled herself out of his lap again. "What to join me in the shower?"

Remus looked the young woman over. Gods only knew how many times she had offered that same suggestion in the past month, each time Remus knew his answer had to be the same, "Not yet."

And just like the last times she had asked and he declined, Tonks gave a slight pout but grinned widely and excused herself, greeting Sirius as he walked in and she walked out. Sirius had a cocky little smile on his lips.

"So, what was that all about? The invite for a shower and you turned her down?"

"Sirius, what did I tell you about my love life?" Remus grumbled, pulling himself to his feet. "We're not to that certain point in which we take showers together."

Sirius mocked Remus slightly. "This is aggravating Remus. I _know_ you want to, unless your mad you can tell she wants to… Why won't you?"

Remus shook his head slightly, "It's no business of yours Sirius," he retorted then walked out of the library and up to his room. He heard the tell-a-tale sounds of the shower being started, which meant he had about twenty minutes to get everything perfect and ready.

He had wanted several candles, set up all around his room. Instead he'd had only two candles and managed to duplicate them to the point he got the desired effect. After a few more, well placed spells he had a variety of different colored candles scattered around. With a snap of his fingers, the candles gave the usually miserable room a romantic glow.

Remus hadn't known she would show up this particular night, he had prepared just in case. Then again, there was seldom a night as of late that she didn't show up. A part of him felt well knowing that he was able to provide Tonks the comfort she needed after a long day on her watches.

He looked around his room and wondered what else the room needed. His eyes fell to a bouquet of flower Molly had put in his room earlier that week. The flowers were a little parched and easily crumbled into his hands when he picked them up by the wilting blooms. He scattered the flowerets all over his bed and surveyed his work.

It was as perfect as he could get it. For a moment he wondered if there were still any of the candies Molly had made in the kitchen, but a knock at his door told him that it was a little too late to check and see. Remus turned and ran to the door and barely opened it. His mouth instantly went dry at the sight of Tonks in nothing more than an over-sized, pink, silky bathrobe.

"Molly gave it to me," she grinned, twirling the tie playfully. "What do you think?" She made a slow turn to show off her new article of clothing, Remus just blinked continuously until she gave a laugh. "I like it too."

Remus stepped aside and opened the door to his room. He heard Tonks gasp in surprise as she walked in. Her eyes were widened in wonder and her mouth was slightly opened as she took in the glow of the candlelight. Remus closed his door and made sure the lock was firmly latched. He leaned against his door and waited to see if she would have anything to say.

After a couple of minutes, Tonks turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck. The coolness of the water that had plastered her silky robe to her body sank through to his skin. She kissed the side of his neck then planted small feathery kisses all over his face.

"I am such a lucky girl," she said after she was done.

Remus brought her hands to his lips and gave both of them a kiss. Wordlessly, he led Tonks over to his bed. Tonks gave a small squeal of delight when she saw the flower petals all over his bed. Remus had barely had time to sit on his bed before she leapt onto his lap, knocking both of them flat onto the bed. Her excitement was easily translated to him by her kiss.

Tonks finally sat up, straddling his hips. There was a glint of mischievousness in her dark eyes. "If I didn't know better Mister Lupin I would say you were trying to seduce me," she grinned.

"And I would have to say that everyone was wrong about you. You are indeed a very observant young woman," Remus replied with a hint of amusement in his tone. He didn't know if the soft gasp that escaped Tonks' lips was one of honest surprise or if Tonks was giving in lieu of being a mock surprise.

When her cheeks took on a soft pink glow, Remus knew that the small gasp had indeed been one in complete and honest surprise. He propped himself on his elbows and gazed up at her. "You don't mind that I am trying to seduce you, do you, Nymphadora?"

A wide smile went across Tonks' lips. "Of course not. It's just… I've never been seduced by the man of my dreams before." She shivered slightly and gave a soft laugh. "It's kind of exciting. Candlelight, flowers on the bed, the sweetest, handsomest," she put a finger to his nose in an almost defensive manner "-- _and don't you dare correct my grammar Remus John Lupin_ -- man I have ever had the fortune of meeting."

Instead of playing Tonks' grammar game, Remus just yanked her back down to him and kissed her. To call him nervous would be an understatement. He was nervous for several reasons, but the primary cause of his nervousness was the fact he didn't want to do something wrong and ending up having his "perfectly planned" night turn into a big fiasco.

Tonks began saying something, which was instantly muffled by their connected lips. She pulled away and sat up on his lap again. "Well?"

Remus blinked several times. "I'm sorry I was too busy kissing a very lovely young woman to understand what you were saying."

Tonks thought for a moment. "Don't worry about it." She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm just going to rip your clothes off now."

"I haven't that many clothes Nymphadora," Remus said with an innocent tone. "So please don't rip them too much."

Tonks grinned and grasped the front of his shirt. She pulled him to sitting up and started to unbutton the shirt. Her hands were shaking almost to the point that the simple task was a bit of a complication. She hooted with victory when she finally managed to release the final button and slid the shirt down his arms. At that point she gave a squeal of annoyance.

"I forgot about the bloody wrist buttons!" she exclaimed and quickly set to releasing the buttons at his wrists.

When his wrists were finally free, Tonks snatched the shirt away and threw it off over her shoulder. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the various scars on Remus' arms and chest. Remus closed his eyes lightly when she let her fingers softly brush over each of the scars.

"These are the typical scar patterns on werewolves," she said softly, her voice sounded awed as if she were a child exploring a new forest. "It's where their skin has to tear in order to accommodate the transformation." Her soft warm lips touched his chest as she gently kissed each of the old scars. She repeated the gesture on his shoulders and arms.

Remus let his eyes open. He had expected to perhaps see her eyes full of pity, but the dark eyes were rimmed with traces of tears and full of an emotion Remus preferred to go nameless at that moment. He captured her lips and kissed her deeply.

This time it was his hands that were shaking, as he lifted them to shoulders of the over-sized robe and slowly began to slide it from Tonks' shoulders. Tonks offered assistance in the fight to get her arms free from the sleeves so that the robe was gathered around her waist. Her skin was still cool from where she had long been out of the shower, but it seemed to warm quickly as soon as it touched his.

A wave of warmth spread through Remus that first moment their chests had touched, naked skin to naked skin for the first time. He could feel something shifting within himself and knew that soon he would be hearing the whispers of the wolf inside of his mind. Tonks muffled something and pulled back.

"Do you want me to have the long black hair with the pink in it?" she asked softly. "If you want me to I will."

Remus shook his head and quietly replied, "No. You're perfect just the way you are right now."

For a moment, Remus thought he had seen tears form in Tonks' eyes again, but she had rubbed her eyes with her hands and the appearance of the elusive tears had gone away. She cupped his face in her hands. "Right now Remus, everything is perfect. Something has to end up going wrong because everything is just too perfect."

Remus put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Don't jinx it."

She was right of course, everything was indeed perfect. Even to Remus everything was perfect. He couldn't have asked for anything to be better than it was. Even the imperfections of the moments to pass had been just right. Every whisper of his name that rolled from Tonks' lips had touched the right place next to his ear. Each touch of his hand had brought the ideal reaction from the young woman in his arms.

And nothing went wrong.

888

She was joyfully singing the tunes of _Singing in the Rain_ once again. Only thing was, this time it wasn't because of a kiss. -- Well, in the long run it wasn't because of a kiss, even though there had been plenty of those -- Tonks had thought she had experienced pure, unadulterated, bliss from Remus' first kiss, but the kiss had been nothing compared to what had recently occurred.

And now, he was trailing a few steps behind her, walking her back to her flat. When she would occasionally whirl herself around a light pole to hit a particularly joyful note in her song, she would see the amused smile on his face. Which then she would run to him and embrace him as she kissed him. Then the light pole would become a temporary brace for her backside as he returned the kiss.

Tonks knew she was perhaps being a little childish about it, but she didn't care. She felt free of any sort of inhibitions that the world may have thrust toward her. It also felt good to know she was bringing that smile to Remus' face and that he wasn't thinking she was being out of sorts for it. In fact a time or two he was more than willing to be her dance partner during her performance.

They reached her flat long before she wished they would have. The building loomed before her like a prison. She sighed heavily and clung to the front of Remus' coat, nuzzling her nose into his chest, breathing in his scent as if it were the last time she would be able to do so.

"Oh I wish I could have stayed at Grimmauld tonight," she huffed. "I don't want to be here tonight. I want to be cuddled up in a warm bed with you again."

"I know," Remus replied quietly, running his fingers over her hair. He was quiet for a long moment then suggested, "I _could_ stay with you tonight and just apparate out in the morning before Richard arrives…"

At this point Tonks wanted to jump up and down and have a temper tantrum like a little three year old. "Don't tempt me like that Remus," she pouted. "It's too risky."

"I'll walk you to your door then love," Remus sighed, his arms around her protectively.

Of course, Remus had to practically drag her to her door. Tonks didn't want to go, she wanted to stay out on the streets kissing him a little more. She didn't want to tell him goodnight or goodbye yet. When they reached her door, Tonks latched onto Remus. She didn't want to let him go from fear that if she let him walk away she wouldn't see him again.

She couldn't explain it; it was just an over-whelming feeling of foreboding. Even when she gave him that one last kiss goodnight, she lingered a little bit longer than she ordinarily did before. "I don't want you to go," she whispered.

"I have to Nymphadora," Remus replied in her ear. He stroked the side of her face longingly as he softly kissed her down her throat.

Something just didn't feel right at that moment. Every last moment seemed as if it were going to be the last they would have together. Tonks couldn't help but wonder if Remus felt it to and that was why he was not putting up much of a fuss with her wanting to draw the goodbye out a little bit longer.

Remus put a finger under her chin and made her look up into his eyes. His mouth tried to form words. Three times he stopped himself before a sound could make its way out of his mouth. In the end, he just brushed his lips over hers and whispered, "Goodbye Nymphadora. I will see you tomorrow morning on the underground."

Tonks regretfully unlocked her door and went into her flat. When it became apparent that Remus was waiting for her to shut her door, she did so and slowly turned the locks. She rested her forehead against the door and couldn't help but wonder why she had the sudden doubt that Remus would not be on the underground come morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Just the way you are.  
Author: LupinLovesTonks  
Rated: T due to future situations  
Disclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

Tonks frowned as she stepped off of the underground and looked around. In spite of having the over-whelming feeling the night before, she thought maybe at least Remus would there to prove her fears wrong. What was even stranger still was that Richard had not shown up that morning. And he was rather anal-retentive about his timing so that they left her flat at precisely five minutes and thirty seconds before seven.

She had made the underground just before it was pulling form the station. Remus hadn't been there, like he had said he would be. She didn't walk to the Ministry, she ran to the closest alley and apparated into the Auror Headquarters. The moment she arrived, Kingsley jumped in surprise.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, jumping up and running over to her. "Have you seen Richard at all today?"

Tonks blinked several times, trying to process what Kingsley was saying. "No, why?"

Kingsley looked around and pulled Tonks into the office. Closing the door. "I was attacked last night while on my watch. I'm not sure if one of the Death Eaters saw me and thought I was after them or if perhaps Richard knows more than he's letting on. But when I woke up, he was no where to be found."

Tonks felt her heart grow heavy. "About what time did this happen?"

"Around midnight. It was close to Grimmauld, I know that much. I went there after I was attacked."

She could feel the color drain from her face. Kingsley frowned deeply with concern. "That's around the time Remus and I left to go back to my place last night." She looked up at Kingsley. "Have you seen Remus? Was he there this morning?"

Kingsley was quiet. He seemed to wait to form the words right. "Sirius said he had went home with you. So, it was thought that maybe Remus had stayed there with you when he didn't go back to Grimmauld."

Of all the things Kingsley could have told her, informing her that Remus had not made it back to Grimmauld was the one thing that set her into a frenzy. What could she have done to prevent it from happening in the first place? She could have done loads of things.. She could have stayed at Grimmauld and just apparated back to her flat in the morning… She could have just let Remus stay at her flat… She could have just not gone to Grimmauld the night before.

She closed her eyes. _No_, she would not regret stepping foot into Grimmauld the night before. Her heart began to rapidly beat and her head began to swim. Tightness was beginning to form in her chest. Before she had even let it register what was happening, she was on a desk and several of the other Aurors were standing over her.

"Is she alright?" a gruff voice asked.

"She's coming back around Scrimgeour," Kingsley replied.

"What did she fall over this time?"

"She didn't fall over anything. It looked a bit like she went into a fit or sorts, sir," a feminine voice said. "Kingsley had the door open, one moment she was standing there. The next she was on the floor in convulsions."

"It's my guess you told her about Richard giving you the slip then?" Scrimgeour asked.

Tonks slowly sat up, rubbing her head. "That's not it, sir," she managed. "I think he may have made off with Remus. My flat wasn't too far from where Kingsley said he was attacked. Remus is a wizard."

Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow. "A wizard eh? And why were you with this fellow Tonks?"

Tonks slid off the desk and poked Scrimgeour in the chest. "Look. I have a personal life outside of this god-forsaken mission to catch that son of a bitch Richard. I think he may have my boyfriend because he walked me home last night around the same time Kingsley was attacked. But Remus is a goddamn werewolf and in case you didn't notice, the full moon is not too far off. And as far as I know, Richard does not know Remus is one."

Scrimgeour cast a look at the others in the room and they quickly exited until just Kingsley, Scrimgeour, and Tonks remained in the office. Scrimgeour nodded toward the door and it slammed shut. "Not to sound callous and uncaring about your preferences of partners, but why should I care if a mangy werewolf rips Richard to shreds?

Tonks felt her face warm. Not with embarrassment, but more of a rage of sorts. "You listen to me. Remus is not like the others. He makes himself bloody sick worrying that he will bite someone when he's turned. Even though it is Richard, Remus would not be able to live with himself if he killed him. So either you get me help tracking down Remus and Richard, or I will do it by myself."

Scrimgeour crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips. "I'll excuse you on a personal leave of absence while you look for them. We have bigger things to worry about than finding a murderous Muggle and a werewolf. But I do wish you luck in your search. However, if you are in trouble, just send up some sparks and you will have help immediately."

Tonks felt her heart drop as she watched the head of the Auror Department turn on his heels and walk out. Kingsley put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll talk to Dumbledore and see if there's anything The Order can do," he whispered. "We wouldn't leave you to do it alone, we're like a family, we're there for each other."

Tonks threw her arms around Kingsley's neck. For a moment, he didn't seem to know what to think. But, after a brief moment, he gently patted her back. She could see how it would have taken him by surprise; ordinarily she wasn't the type that would just hug people out of gratitude. But this was something important. And right now nothing was more important to her than finding Remus. Knowing that she would have the help of The Order comforted her soul in a manner that she couldn't explain.

She pulled away from Kingsley. "Thank you Kingsley. I'm going to go home and see if I can find anything, since I'm on a 'personal leave of absence' and all."

888

Tonks held the solitary cloth in her hand. It had Remus' initials on one small corner. It had been found next to an alley close to the building her flat was in, when she had arrived and started looking for some kind of clues. From the way it appeared, Remus had stopped for a moment and someone had come out of the alley and had attacked him.

The handkerchief had apparently fallen out of his hand or pocket when he was attacked. But oddly enough, there was no evidence that he had been dragged away, which would have been rather easy to tell within that grim-filled alley. All evidence pointed to Remus being transported by magical means. When Moody had looked it over, he had found traces of the spells cast, even though Tonks had no idea magic left behind anything after a spell.

"It will if it's done by a nitwit that doesn't know what their doing. It was done by a rather unskilled wizard," Moody had growled in reply. He pointed to a small burn mark on the side of the alley. "Not too good at aiming either, but evidently good at wordless magic. Hearing something like this would have made Remus turn, probably when the bastard got him."

But that discovery had been days ago. In just a few hours, Tonks would be out of time. Remus would be beyond her saving him from doing something he would regret. At least Scrimgeour would send an owl every day to see how she was coming along with her mission and to inform her that there was still no trace of Richard anywhere.

Tonks traced her fingers over Remus' initials in the thin cloth. Tears were stinging the corners of her eyes so she lightly dabbed her eyes with the cloth. She jumped when she heard a light knock at her door. Without any hesitation, she ran to the door and flung it open. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Richard," she exclaimed, shoving the cloth into her pocket.

Richard gave a slight sneer, as he looked her over. "You look a right wreck _Nymphadora Tonks_. I didn't mean to worry you this much with my disappearance." He wrinkled his nose in distaste as his eyes looked over her hair. "I know this is suddenly love but, I have a surprise for you and I wanted to make sure the moon was right for you to see it in all it's beauteous glory. What? No kiss for me after I've been gone for a week?"

Tonks blinked several times and finally found her breath. "It just, caught me by surprise," she replied honestly. She hugged him lightly and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, I want to get to your surprise before it gets too dark to see where I am going. The main event is once the moon is good and risen," Richard said quietly, taking her hands. "But first…" he pulled a blindfold from his pocket. "No peeking for you _Nymphadora_."

As he tied the blindfold over her eyes, Tonks tried to recall if she had ever told Richard what her real given name was. She remembered when she had met; telling him her name was "Dora". But, during all their time together, had she ever told him that her full given name was "Nymphadora". The way he was slowly saying the name, putting extra emphasis on it, made her wonder exactly how he knew her name.

She felt something cold wash over her, as if someone was pouring a cold slimy liquid over her head and it was trickling down her body. Richard kept his hand firmly in place on her elbow as he began to lead her away.

888

A time or two during their journey, Tonks had felt an old familiar feeling that she had once known when learning to apparate or taking a portkey. But such a thing done by a Muggle was a little far fetched. All that she knew was that when Richard removed the blindfold from her eyes she was standing in a vast open area of rolling hills.

"Now, here's the fun part," Richard said bitterly, handing her a small piece of paper with an address on it.

Tonks gasped in surprise as a large house materialized out of thin air, as she read over the address and wondered about what it meant. Richard lifted his hand over her head and Tonks felt the cold sensation wash over her again. She looked up at Richard's hand and felt her blood run cold.

"You're a wizard?" she asked weakly.

Richard snorted. "Oh yes love. I _am_. And it has been the torment of my father since I was a child. Thought he could squish the magic out of my like he did my mother, but no… I remember buying books for my first year, finding Diagon Alley… My mother died before my first day and my father refused to let me go. But I found _ways_ to learn it all without him knowing. You know how I've always been such a thorough reader darling."

He yanked on her arm and pulled her toward the mansion.

"Of course," he continued. "It didn't hurt making the right sort of friends that could do the things I couldn't. Portkeys for example, I had to get some assistance with that. And of course, finding this place. It was the home to my mother's parents. Apparently, the whole deal with secret keepers is that you have to get them to _tell you_ where it is." Richard cracked an evil smile. "Oh but I got them to tell me where it was. It was just a fun game watching my mother's father squirm."

Tonks could feel her feet trying to keep up with her as Richard dragged her along. If she tripped he would just yank her back to her feet so hard that it hurt her arm. "And I guess you realize now that I am a witch then?"

"I suspected it all along, _Nymphadora_. The fun of it was getting it out of someone that knew, someone that would use the information in hopes that it would deter my game with them. Which brings me to my second surprise my dear. I will show you how I knew your real given name, that you're an Auror --whatever that is --, and exactly how to get you right where I want you."

Richard pulled her to a door away from the huge entry doors to the mansion. He pushed it open and Tonks could feel the hairs in her nose curl as she took in the unmistakable mixture of blood, moisture, and stale water. She couldn't explain it, but she somehow knew that the blood was fresh. Richard led her down the spiraling stairs until they reached the lower dungeons of the mansion.

She felt her heart heave forward when she could practically taste the blood in the air. She froze on spot. "What did you do to Remus?" The voice she had used was low and almost like a predatory growl, it was voice that seemed to come from and entirely different part of her soul. "That's his blood I smell."

Richard cracked a smile. "So that's his name then? I was wondering because any time he came around, after I got done beating all the information I wanted out of him, all he would do was laugh and tell me that I would see come the night of the full moon. Which is why I brought you here, evidently he wanted me to know that you and the full moon had some sort of significance. But he's quiet the character, your friend is. I think he may have multiple personalities."

"You have no idea," Tonks said, with a little half smile. If Remus had a reason for not wanting to let Richard know he was a werewolf, Tonks wasn't about to spoil the surprise. "Where is he?"

Richard snapped his fingers and torches lit up around the dark dungeon. Tonks felt her heart fall when she saw Remus, curled up in a corner. He was stripped down bare and his arms and legs were tied to iron rings on the wall. She saw his body heave slightly and Remus lifted his head slowly and turned to look at her.

"It is the east," Remus said, his tone low and like a growl. "And Juliet is the sun." Remus gave a soft laugh as he shifted himself around to sit down. The look in his eyes was one of insanity, a thirst for blood and retribution. Tonks knew, at the moment at least, the wolf was shoving the real Remus aside. Remus cringed as if in a lot of pain. He looked up at them again and his eyes filled with fear. "Tonks?" He looked over her shoulder at Richard. "I told you to leave her out of this."

Richard gave a crude half smile. "Now what fun would that be -- Remus, right my dear," he asked, looking down at her. "I figured you wanted her here since you kept on about something big happening on the night of the full moon."

"No I don't want her here! It's dangerous for her to be here," Remus shouted, attempting to lunge but falling face first into his small bed of straw when the ropes reached their full extension. When Remus looked up, the madness was back in his eyes. "I would never hurt her," Remus hissed.

"So, tell me Richard, exactly how much did your spell instructor emerge you into the wizarding community?" Tonks asked shakily. She hoped the wolf was telling the truth, but in case he wasn't, she was not going to hesitate much longer on removing herself from the dungeon.

"Enough that pitiful little things such as you and this man are simple victims for me," Richard drawled. "But I don't think I will kill you Nymphadora my dear. I think in our time together I have grown rather fond of you, so a few well-placed will-controlling spells should do the trick on _you_. Your _friend_ here though, I am afraid I cannot risk keeping him around and luring you away from me."

Richard released her and walked over to Remus, his wand drawn. "Any last words, Remus?"

Remus muttered a few hissed words under his breath, he was panting heavily for breath, and trembling profusely. In spite of it all, he gave a raspy laugh. Richard gazed down at Remus with a raised eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Tonks made a move to go back for the stairs, but Richard cast a spell in her direction and she felt her legs give out from beneath her. Of all spells he could have thrown at her, he had hit her with the infernal one that turned her legs into little more than flailing appendages.

Remus was still laughing, his voice progressively getting more growl-like and loud. Richard's face contorted into an expression of rage and he promptly kicked Remus in his side. Remus instantly stopped laughing and fell over, panting for breath. Richard delivered a few more kicks on Remus' sides.

Richard had drawn his leg back for another kick when it happened. Remus looked up sharply, his eyes were glowing like to gold coins. His long fangs were bared as he snapped and growled. Richard paled and dropped his wand as he staggered back a few paces. Remus lunged for Richard, once again reaching the full extent that the rope allowed. Only this time the rings that were connected to wall displaced themselves slightly.

Tonks tried to use her arms to pull herself across the stone floor. "Remus!" She reached her hand toward Richard's wand. She focused with all her might and the wand flew to her hands. Richard was backed up into a corner, looking at Remus wide-eyed as he went through his transformation. Tonks had never seen him transform before and was transfixed, holding Richard's wand limply in her hand.

It was a fierce process. Eventually Remus had yanked the rings in the wall free, and ripped the ropes from his wrists and ankles. "Whatever you do Richard, don't run!" Tonks had finally found her voice when Remus collapsed after his transformation was through. She quickly muttered the spell to release her legs from Richard's jinx.

Unfortunately, he hadn't listened to her warning and he was slowly getting to his feet, his eyes darting around for the exit. "Richard, I'm telling you… _Don't move_. In this form he's practically immortal so it would be a big mistake to run from him."

"Wh-wha-what is _that!_" Richard yelled.

"It's a werewolf, dumbass," Tonks snarled. She didn't have time to wonder where the hell that hiss-like voice had come from. "Now don't move!"

Richard was still edging closer toward the stairwell. The wolf growled deeply as it slowly raised its head, its eyes were locked on Richard. Richard panicked and began to run for the stairs.

Tonks shouted out, "I said don't move!" and Richard froze, mid-run and fell to the floor. Tonks slowly moved to her feet in almost the same timing as Remus pulled himself onto his four feet. "Remus Lupin," she said calmly. The wolf's gaze flickered to her for a fleeting moment then went back to Richard's stiff form. "You don't want to do this Remus."

She slowly edged herself toward Richard as Remus slowly walked forward. His long fangs were dripping gleaming saliva as he growled deeply. Finally Tonks was the only thing between Remus and Richard. "Remus Lupin," she repeated. "He's mine to deal with. As a wolf you may not care, but I know part of you still cares whether or not you bite someone. Let me deal with Richard Remus."

The wolf gazed up at her. It slowly stalked around her, Tonks turned as he passed. Her body was trembling as she watched the wolf lean in over Richard. She could see the fear in Richard's eyes as the wolf reared back his head and opened his massive jaws. _Please don't do it Remus,_ she thought.

The wolf lunged toward Richard, snapping his jaws shut right at Richard's face. The creature then raised its massive head and howled deeply before it raced up the stairs. In spite of it, Tonks smiled slightly and looked down at Richard's stiff form. His eyes had rolled back in his head, as if he had fainted. She looked up the stairs.

The wolf had listened to her pleas. But why?

888

Tonks let Richard come a rest on the ground. "Oppsy," she smirked when he landed just a little too hard. She had released him from her jinx before binding him with anti-apparation ropes and floating him out of the bounds of the mansion. Considering he was once again fully conscious made the ordeal much more fun.

To put it mildly, Richard looked furious. She stared down at him. "It's not much fun to be the one susceptible to undependable beatings is it? Speaking of which --" She sharply kicked Richard numerous times without care of where her foot connected with him. Then she quickly modified his memory so he would think he had injured himself while trying to escape from Remus and sent pink sparks flying up into the air.

At that point, she resisted the urge to hit him with a few torturing curses. It was a good thing she had because almost instantly, Scrimgeour and several other Aurors apparated to her location. Scrimgeour looked down at Richard then at Tonks. He gazed out across the wide span of land. Somewhere in the distance, Tonks could see the wolf running along the tree line. The wolf howled and raced into the forest. Scrimgeour looked back down at Richard.

"Was he bitten?" he asked gruffly.

"No," Tonks replied. "Not that Remus didn't want to rip him to shreds. But I begged him not to do it and so he went about his business."

Scrimgeour looked at her sharply. "He didn't attempt to attack you?" Tonks shook her head. "And you asked him not to bite this man and he just… ran off?" Tonks nodded.

"That's the jest of it anyways," Tonks replied. She gave a small half-smile as she recalled what exactly the wolf had done before retreating up the stairwell. "Let's get this guy back to headquarters. He can't apparate, but he admitted that some wizard had taught him some of the basic things."

"Did you get a name?" Kingsley asked, appearing over Scrimgeour's shoulder.

"He didn't say," Tonks sighed. Her eyes went back to the tree line. In good time, Remus would hopefully return to Grimmauld. She fully planned on being there when he did.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Just the way you are.  
Author: LupinLovesTonks  
Rated: T due to future situations  
Disclaimer: HP & all others are trademarks of JK Rowling. No profit is made from the use of these trademarked entities. No animals were harmed in the typing of this fic. Void where prohibited, see store for complete rules and details. Any similarities to actual events are strictly a coincidence.

An: This is it folks... the finale. the last chapter... big big conclusion. I hope you've liked it! I don't know if there will be a continuation or not... I kinda need to finish up some mods on other fics before I even concider that idea...

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Chapter Seven

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He bundled the makeshift cloak around him a little tighter. It was honestly nothing more than a large bed sheet he had managed to knick off a clothesline in a small village. It was a crude, paisley print cloak he had made for himself, but it had provided him _some_ covering. Not to mention some blood from the tear marks were beginning to soak through, but the sooner he made it back to Grimmauld, the sooner he could have Molly take care of the wounds. 

He had apparated into London, close to Tonks' flat. All the lights had been off there, so he hoped against all odds that perhaps he hadn't hurt her while turned and she was waiting for him, safe at Grimmauld. If, in fact, she had been there. When it got too close to a transformation, he never really knew what was real and what was his mind playing tricks on him.

Finally, he had reached Grimmauld. The old House of Black squeezed its neighbors aside and let itself become more pronounced on the street. He slowly made his way up the few steps that led into the door and let himself in. He took extra care to make sure he didn't wake the sleeping portrait of the late Mrs. Black.

He slowly crept up the stairs and to his door. He gave a sigh of relief when he reached it. He was only moments away from being able to fall into a soft bed and go to sleep. He would wait until morning to let Molly tend the wounds. Odds were, they would still be open and bleeding. Slowly, he opened his door.

The scene before him had been unexpected. There was a fire burning in the fireplace with a bubbling cauldron over the flames. Tonks was on her knees in front of it, stirring the contents with a far off look in her eyes. She brought the ladle out and sniffed the contents. Her face contorted in an expression of distaste as she placed the ladle back into the cauldron.

"Luckily I don't have to drink it," Remus commented. She didn't jumped she just smiled gently. "I apologize if I scared you."

Tonks shook her head. "You didn't," she said softly. "I heard you coming." She looked at him and smiled brightly. "Molly showed me what to do, so I get to help you tonight." She patted a spot on the rug next to her. "Take that thing off and come over here."

Remus closed his door. He hesitated at first, but he carefully removed the mock clothing he had fashioned from the paisley bed sheet and took a seat beside Tonks. She dipped some of the contents of the cauldron into a bowl. She touched the contents and shook her hand as it burnt her. She bit her bottom lip and started to set the bowl down.

"It has to be like that when you put it on," he instructed quietly. When she looked up at him with wide eyes, he added, "I'm used to it Nymphadora."

Tonks closed her eyes and dipped her hand into the steaming bowl. "Geesh that's hot," she whimpered shakily.

"Molly usually uses a dragon glove to put it on," Remus replied.

Tonks took a deep breath and began to slowly spread the thick liquid on his arms and hands. Remus closed his eyes and clenched his teeth tightly. He could feel the liquid already doing it's magic. Unlike actual bites or claw marks he used to inflict on himself, the ones from his transformation would actually heal almost instantly. They would, however, add to the mass of scars he had received in the same area over the years.

Next, Tonks carefully spread the liquid on his chest and legs. He had to hand it to her; she was handling the heat of the liquid rather well. She scooted around him. "None on your back? Weird."

"Not much changes back there I guess," Remus commented, a hint of laughter in his tone.

Tonks straddled his legs and delicately spread the liquid on the marks on his face. She smiled gently when she set the bowl down then picked up a wet cloth. She started wiping off the excess once everything had healed itself. Just as when putting on the hot liquid, she saved his face for last, straddling his legs.

Once she got the last bit of excess off his face, she leaned in and lightly brushed her lips over his. It was at that moment, Remus felt completely human again. Her arms around him felt like the most natural thing that he could have been doing. But, he couldn't help but ask her…

"Were you at that place tonight?"

"You mean Richard's little dungeon?" Remus nodded. "Yes," Tonks replied simply. "If I hadn't been there, you would have killed him after you turned." She must have seen the panic in his eyes because she quickly added, "You didn't bite me either. Everyone made it out alive and unbitten."

Tonks smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

Remus didn't want to ask anymore about the experience of being trapped down in the dungeon while he was transformed. Odds were it would be a horrible tale of trying to out run his wolf form. He could already imagine the screams of terror that must have escaped her sweet lips.

As if she were reading his thoughts, Tonks hugged him from behind his back and whispered in his ear. "I wasn't scared at all, Remus. So don't worry about it. I'd gladly do it all over again if it meant saving you from doing something you would regret."

"Why do I get the feeling I wouldn't have regretted killing Richard?" Remus said quietly. "I've seen and heard the things he said to you. Not just tonight, but when I would ride the underground and watch you. It makes me wonder what he would do when I wasn't able to be there for you. The ideas in my mind made me want to kill him with my bare mortal hands. When I could hear the wolf, I knew he wanted nothing more than to do the same."

Remus reached up and closed his hands lightly around Tonks' wrists.

"The wolf would never hurt me Remus," Tonks whispered in his ear.

He resolved to just let her believe that idea. He was too exhausted to argue with her at that moment. Tonks came around and sat in his lap, placing her head on his shoulder. Remus reached up and lightly stroked down the side of her beautiful neck.

She jumped and hissed slightly when his fingers grazed across a spot at the nape of her neck. He pulled her back slightly and observed the spot that had caused her discomfort. It was a series of small cuts as if a set of very human teeth had sank themselves into her skin. The bruise around it was light, letting him know it was several days old.

Tonks flushed lightly. Remus scowled slightly.

"Did I do that?" he asked. Tonks nodded gently. "Nothing happened?"

"Should something have happened?"

Remus managed a half laugh. "I don't know." Suddenly, Remus felt compelled to just take her into his arms and make love to her in front of the warm fire.

So he did.

888

_About two months later_…

Tonks lightly touched the bite marks at the nape of her neck. They had heeled completely the previous full moon but had left a bit of a scar. It had been a proverbial hell for her getting used to hearing the whispered voice in the back of her mind the week before the full moon. When the voice had ceased the morning after the full moon, Tonks had come to realize that some how the voice, the full moon, and the wolf were somehow connected together.

Remus didn't know it, but when the wolf would push him aside momentarily during that week, she was able to rein the wolf in and convince him to rest a little while longer. She wanted to tell him, but each time she felt the urge to tell him, she couldn't find the words -- either that or the wolf would be around and give her a devilish wink. So it had become a bit of a secret between herself and the wolf.

Besides, part of her felt Remus already knew but was just unwilling to accept it. She had seen Remus in the eyes of the wolf too many times not to think he didn't know. But she always apparated away before Remus turned back to himself. But, for some reason, he never understood how she always knew the right time to arrive and help him with his wounds.

It was best to have it that way, for now…

888

Remus lightly stroked Tonks' face as she slept. She smiled in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. Come morning, the two of them would be on a new mission. This time it would be a relatively easy one, though a very well organized one. For now, he just wanted to hold onto the moment that was reserved purely for the two of them.

The morning that was too rapidly approaching would bring a busy day full of business for The Order. It would be filled with the final plans of going to rescue Harry from The Dursley's and setting them into motion. It would also be full of the younger Weasley children competing for a moment of Tonks' time so that they could have a good cheer-up as they watched her turn her nose and hair color. He would have to share her.

But, for now, that was something he didn't have to do. Nor did he have to worry about biting her later that night, the full moon had passed two days earlier and she had been safe at Grimmauld while he was off alone. He wanted to tell her that sometimes, after he turned back, he could smell traces of her scent as if she had been there with him and had just left when he returned to himself. But, maybe she would have said it was a ridiculous idea, that perhaps he had just smelled her on the clothes he had removed prior to turning.

At least that's what he hoped it was. Sometimes he was prone to dreaming she was there with him, the wolf's massive head in her lap as she gently stroked him between his ears. But he had resolved that they were nothing more than wishful thinking.

For now Remus had resolved to let himself enjoy the presence of Tonks in his life. Though, he knew that sometime in the near future it would have to come to an end. Not for his sake but merely for her safety. He couldn't let it get too far. He had to keep those certain walls up to keep her from getting too far in.

Because, until he knew precisely what the future held for him… Remus knew he could never plan for a real future with Tonks. No matter how wonderful she made him feel inside.


End file.
